Purim: The Jewish Halloween?
Purim, the Jewish holiday that is described in the Biblical book of Esther (in the Tanakh -- Jewish bible or "Old" Testament) is sort of a combination of holiday.
The story of Esther and Mordekhai in the Persian Empire during the time of King Ahashverosh (some say he was Xerxes) is a fascinating story, full of palace intrigue, unexpected twists and turns, a descendant of an old enemy of the Jews, and a villain whose name is drown out with gragers (noisemakers) when we read the Megilla in the synagogue.
Purim, which is based on the Biblical book of Esther, is sort of a few holidays in one -- we have the nighttime Megilla (the book of Esther read from a parchment scroll folded like a letter) reading (sort of our version of "Midnight Mass"????) (we also read the Megilla during the day), we have a button-popping-feast as we do on Thanksgiving, we give out baskets of edibles to friends (like Easter Baskets???) and wedress up like Halloween. The basis for the dressing up is that G-d hid his face (G-d's presence is only hinted at in the Megilla -- the name of G-d isn't explicitly mentioned). Esther's name (from the pagan goddess Astarte) -- her Hebrew name is Hadassa -- also alludes to her hiding her religion (in Hebrew, the phrase Haster Aster Panim mean "I will hide my 'face'").
The story of Esther and Mordekhai in the Persian Empire during the time of King Ahashverosh (some say he was Xerxes) is a fascinating story, full of palace intrigue, unexpected twists and turns, a descendant of an old enemy of the Jews, and a villain whose name is drown out with gragers (noisemakers) when we read the Megilla in the synagogue.
Purim
Purim, which is based on the Biblical book of Esther, is sort of a few holidays in one -- we have the nighttime Megilla (the book of Esther read from a parchment scroll folded like a letter) reading (sort of our version of "Midnight Mass"????) (we also read the Megilla during the day), we have a button-popping-feast as we do on Thanksgiving, we give out baskets of edibles to friends (like Easter Baskets???) and we
Click on this link to buy the Adult Esther Costume
